help a noob out

kcbrown wrote in post #15112709How many are needed depends on the variety of things you want to shoot.

Because you're just starting out, the idea is to give you enough flexibility that you can shoot most things reasonably well with relatively little money expended. That's why I generally recommend that people who are new to DSLR photography pick up the 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 IS, the 55-250 f/4.5-5.6 IS, and the 50 f/1.8. I call this the "nifty trio" because they are inexpensive and optically good all at the same time.

Those 3 lenses cover an angle of view range from wide angle to relatively long telephoto. The 50 f/1.8 is a prime lens that will let you learn about shooting in low light and with shallow depth of field (the 55-250 will be pretty good at shallow depth of field as well when you shoot at long focal lengths and subjects that are somewhat close). They are all optically very good, so when you get your shutter speeds and exposures right, you'll be rewarded with rich, detailed shots.

The only reason I mentioned the Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS in conjunction with the 7D is that one of the 7D's major strengths is its autofocus system that's useful for action, and the 17-55 has a significantly faster autofocus mechanism than the 18-55. However, upon reflection, chances are that if you're shooting action, you're shooting telephoto, which means if you get a 7D, you'll probably be better served with the 18-55 and a 70-200 f/4L IS.

Note that the 18-55, 55-250, and 17-55 are all EF-S lenses that work only on crop-sensor bodies such as the 7D, 60D, and Rebels. They will not work on any full-frame camera.

Again, budget is everything. If you're sufficiently budget sensitive, you will be better off with a 60D and more money for lenses than a 7D and less money for lenses, unless you know that you are going to be shooting a lot of action. Even then, the 60D isn't bad for action at all -- it's just that the 7D is as good as it gets for less than $3k for the body.

So what's your real budget here? With a budget figure, we can give you much better advice. Lacking that, all I can tell you is that if you pick up a full frame camera, you will need to spend a lot more money on glass to get the same capability as the "nifty trio" gets you.

when i first started looking for a camera i was planning to go with the sony nex-7 at 1369$ minus 25% off from employee discount at sony so i was looking at roughly 1100$ then i looked further into cameras and asked a bunch of people i know that owns cameras and they told me canon dslr so i looked into that and realized it would cost me somewhere between 1700-2900$ to start so i tried to find more options and ran into the fuji x pro 1 which is selling for 2000$ with a 35mm lens at B&H. so my budget went from 1100 to 2900$ back down to 2000$ the only reason i havent pulled the trigger on the fuji is because there is no zoom and alot of good cameras are expected to be released in the up and coming months. november fuji xe-1, sony nex-6 and then the canon 6d in decemeber...all within budget. i've put the dates in my calendar.

morph2_7 wrote in post #15112873It depends. 6D was just introduced recently. You will probably have to get it at MSRP or somewhere close to it. The price of brand new electronics most likely drop like a rock. As an example, 5DMark3 body was selling at $3500 back in early May when it was available for purchase. By mid September, Adorama was selling them for $2750. That's $750 price drop in about 4 months. If you get the T3i in May, you'd probably lose less than $200.

There's no rush to buy brand new electronics. The longer I wait, the cheaper the price and of course there will be new models by the time the price is right for me to buy I'm still waiting for 5DMark3 to drop further down. I'm in no rush. I can wait 1-2 year.

dannyny wrote in post #15113089when i first started looking for a camera i was planning to go with the sony nex-7 at 1369$ minus 25% off from employee discount at sony so i was looking at roughly 1100$ then i looked further into cameras and asked a bunch of people i know that owns cameras and they told me canon dslr so i looked into that and realized it would cost me somewhere between 1700-2900$ to start so i tried to find more options and ran into the fuji x pro 1 which is selling for 2000$ with a 35mm lens at B&H. so my budget went from 1100 to 2900$ back down to 2000$ the only reason i havent pulled the trigger on the fuji is because there is no zoom and alot of good cameras are expected to be released in the up and coming months. november fuji xe-1, sony nex-6 and then the canon 6d in decemeber...all within budget. i've put the dates in my calendar.

A refurbished Canon 60D from CLP (which will come with a 90 day warranty) will run about $650, while a brand new one will cost about $870 from Amazon. The "nifty trio" will add $500 to the price. So for somewhere between $1150 and $1400, you'll have a DSLR that is fast, focuses well, gets good high ISO performance, covers a focal length range all the way from 18mm to 250mm, and gives you some low light and shallow depth of field capability as well (at 50mm, which is an excellent focal length for portraits).

Believe me when I tell you that the pictures you'll be able to get with that setup are astounding once you know what you're doing. It's learning the ins and outs of photography that takes the time and effort, but the camera setup I outline above will make that possible.

You can spend more (a lot more, actually), but the results you get won't really be any better until your skill level is very, very high. And it'll take quite a bit of time to get to that point. During that period of time, you'll have equipment you can grow into and that will serve you very well.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking that the best equipment is what will make the difference in your photographs. Equipment just sets the upper bounds of what you can do. You, the photographer, have to supply the skill to get the shot and make it look good.

I think the XPro1 will actually have much better quality than any ASPC Canon in your price range right now. I would also look at the upcoming Fuji XE-1 that has most the Xpro1 features at a lower cost. A canon DSLR is a fine choice as well. Just make sure you are comfortable with the size difference and the lens selection (canon has a lot).

I don't know your financial situation, and I don't mean to sound like an a-hole. But you will be way way way way way better off spending 1k on the Rebel and sticking the other 2k in a college fund for the kid. If you want to upgrade later on (which realistically if you're shooting on an iphone right now, it will take you years to out grow the Rebel) then you can.

I was in a similar position to you last month when I was looking at my first DSLR. I was looking at spending money on bodies rather than lenses. After reading loads of review sites and photography forums I soon realised that I had it the wrong way around and started researching what would be the best lens for my use.

I ended up getting a Canon 60D (AU$800) with the Canon 17-55mm 2.8 lens (AU$900). I'm extremely glad I went this way as I can't see myself outgrowing the 60D anytime soon.

I wanted a second lens with more reach so I found a used 55-250 for $150 to play around with, if I stick with it I'll upgrade it to a better quality 70-200.

If you want it to take pictures of your newborn I wouldn't sit around waiting for new models to come out, I'd get something now and start learning how to use it. Knowledge and trail and error will net you better pictures on a 60D than a few weeks playing around with a 6D.

I remember being there; lots of people don't want to spend several grand on a camera and several grand on lenses.. Truth be told, most DON'T. Yeah, I know- blasphemy !.. But most people don't want to spend more than say 1 to 1.5 grand on a camera setup- for every thing- mostly- they want it way cheaper than a grand. I would venture that over 90% of DSLR owners own one or two cheap kit lenses... Nothing wrong with that-it's just how it is.. Most also frown on spending more on a lens than what the camera costs- because they don't know the facts.. Most are not artists- they just want decent pictures.. .. Again- nothing wrong with that.

Currently, a Rebel is probably the right choice - starting out.. It could easily last you 5 years or more. Buy from a reputable dealer with a decent return policy - where you can return it - no questions asked- for a period like 30 days.. Try it - decide if you like it.. The camera I would recommend would be the t4i- with the 18-135 STM kit lens.. If you decide on a second lens- get a 55-250 if you want longer, or a 10-22 if you want wider.. Generally speaking- I also recommend getting an external flash- if you find yourself using the pop-up flash- more versatile and comes out better..

kcbrown wrote in post #15113816A refurbished Canon 60D from CLP (which will come with a 90 day warranty) will run about $650, while a brand new one will cost about $870 from Amazon. The "nifty trio" will add $500 to the price. So for somewhere between $1150 and $1400, you'll have a DSLR that is fast, focuses well, gets good high ISO performance, covers a focal length range all the way from 18mm to 250mm, and gives you some low light and shallow depth of field capability as well (at 50mm, which is an excellent focal length for portraits).

Believe me when I tell you that the pictures you'll be able to get with that setup are astounding once you know what you're doing. It's learning the ins and outs of photography that takes the time and effort, but the camera setup I outline above will make that possible.

You can spend more (a lot more, actually), but the results you get won't really be any better until your skill level is very, very high. And it'll take quite a bit of time to get to that point. During that period of time, you'll have equipment you can grow into and that will serve you very well.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking that the best equipment is what will make the difference in your photographs. Equipment just sets the upper bounds of what you can do. You, the photographer, have to supply the skill to get the shot and make it look good.

JAbberwocky wrote in post #15113898I think the XPro1 will actually have much better quality than any ASPC Canon in your price range right now. I would also look at the upcoming Fuji XE-1 that has most the Xpro1 features at a lower cost. A canon DSLR is a fine choice as well. Just make sure you are comfortable with the size difference and the lens selection (canon has a lot).

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